Swiss end-to-end encrypted email provider Proton Mail is testing a new blockchain-based feature to help users verify email addresses and prevent cyberattacks.
In an interview with Fortune, Proton CEO Andy Yen explained how the new Key Transparency product aims to stop “man-in-the-middle” attacks where attackers intercept conversations by spoofing public keys linked to users.
“Maybe it is the NSA [National Security Agency] that has created a fake public key linked to you, and I’m somehow tricked into encrypting data with that public key. In order for the verification to be trusted, it needs to be public, and it needs to be unchanging,” said Yen.
According to the CEO, this feature will automatically compare users’ public keys generated when creating a Proton email account with intended recipients to ensure emails reach the right destination.
It is currently in beta testing on Proton’s private blockchain network. However, Yen indicated that the company may eventually move the product to a public blockchain like Ethereum once it is fully tested, but he did not provide a timeline for the official launch.
In late 2022, Yen publicly discussed his uncertainty about Proton’s cryptocurrency reserves, telling Forbes he was unsure if the company should continue holding crypto on its balance sheet.
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